Faculty Athletics Mentors Work Behind the Scenes for Quakers' Student-Athletes

“Athletes are students first,” says Craig Eilbacher. Guilford’s Faculty Athletics Representative plays a key role along with the school’s faculty advisers to enrich a Guilford student-athlete’s college experience and provide the best education possible.

Eilbacher, a professor of sports medicine at Guilford, is responsible for communicating with the athletic director, serving on search committees for hiring coaches, dealing with NCAA regulations, solving issues student-athletes have with coaches, and maintaining the balance between coaches, faculty and athletes.

Eilbacher describes himself as an arbitrator and mediator. He believes the biggest problem student-athletes face is time management. Figuring out how to plan out one’s day ties into the tricky situations presented by scheduling conflicts with athletics and academics.  “I push athletes to have an open line of communication with the faculty,” he says. Eilbacher says this medium of exchange helps prevent clashes arising from various tournaments and rescheduling conflicts. When athletes are unable to reach solutions with their professors, Eilbacher steps in to reach consensus.   

Eilbacher says student-athletes are not just jocks. “Guilford’s campus is very vibrant,” he says, listing various activities such as theater, art and clubs. Eilbacher encourages student-athletes to branch out and embrace these aspects of campus life. “Whether you are a student, or a student-athlete, you represent Guilford College with distinction.”  

If Eilbacher addresses issues at the institutional level, faculty advisers cater to individual concerns.

Garland Granger (right) is one such faculty adviser. His tenure began as an observer attending baseball practices to watch his nephew. The Guilford accounting professor quickly developed relationships with other baseball players. When head baseball coach Nick Black ‘02 subsequently asked Granger to take on a new role, he became much more than an observer. He became a faculty adviser—or, as Granger likes to call it, a mentor.

Granger is not the school’s only faculty adviser. Their ranks also include Guilford faculty members Heather Hayton, Kyle and Erin Dell, Barbara Lawrence and numerous others who personalize the student-athlete’s college experience. As Granger puts it, “Faculty advisers bridge the gap between athletics and academics.” 

The impact of faculty advisers is both big and small.

Basketball player Will Koppenhaver prepared to transfer after his freshman year. When Hayton (left), the team’s faculty adviser, asked Koppenhaver for one more semester, the power forward listened. In the year that followed, he traveled to the Himalayas as part of a study abroad program and became a better student with Hayton’s help. Koppenhaver will graduate from Guilford this May and started all 26 games in his senior season

Faculty advisers also help in more nuanced ways. Granger recalls when first basemen Chuck Noble struggled to hit the baseball. Granger, who previously played tennis, told Noble to focus on his technique. “When you get up to the plate, take three deep breaths,” Granger said. “What that does is force your muscles to relax.” In the next few games, Noble piled the stat sheet. Days later, Granger received a note from the first baseman, “Thanks for the advice.”

Black says Granger assists students who are unable or afraid of building a bridge with faculty themselves. These relationships can help address any academic-related issue: professors, exams, expectations or life beyond Guilford. 

“The role mostly involves being a sounding board, adviser and resource for the team as they navigate through Guilford,” says Kyle Dell, adviser to the soccer team. Advisers also fulfill a role for student-athletes that coaches cannot. “Coaches aren’t on the academic side of things,” says Black, “so we aren’t able to bridge that gap.” Faculty advisers fill this void for student-athletes by maximizing the educational opportunities Guilford offers.

Faculty advisers have a unified goal. “My greatest gift with students is to instill courage,” says Granger. He says the faculty adviser’s role is to stand beside student-athletes and push them towards improvement while also aiding them in the trials of being both a student and an athlete. “As someone that came through a small liberal arts college myself,” says Dell (right), “I know how important it can be to have personal connections throughout one's different roles in college--as a student, as an athlete, as a leader of a club or even just as a person.” What Dell, and other faculty advisers do, is attempt to establish that connection.

Granger says he stumbled into the opportunity to become faculty adviser. The Dells were offered the job by head soccer coach Jeff Bateson. The three established a relationship during club soccer events. Thanks to the longtime assistance recently retired professor Kathy Adams provided as adviser, Bateson realized the role’s importance for student-athletes.

“This is a position I really wanted,” Eilbacher said. “[I like] working with as many people as possible to make things run smoothly.” Eilbacher relishes the challenge of finding balance between athletics and academics to make the student-athlete’s experience as fulfilling as possible.

“We want to maximize the athlete experience,” says Dave Walters, Guilford’s Sports Information Director. “But at the same time, we want athletes to be successful as students. When student-athletes leave Guilford, we know it will be their education that helps them with gainful employment.”

Faculty advisers can personalize a student-athlete’s Guilford experience and Eilbacher helps maintain an infrastructure that stimulates student success. Both build bridges for present and future endeavors of Guilford’s student-athletes. 

- by Jacob Kapp '15

Guilford's Will Koppenhaver Finds His Way On and Off the Basketball Court Through Helping Others

Frustrated, injured and disenchanted, freshman Will Koppenhaver walked into the office of basketball faculty adviser Heather Hayton. A few months into his college career, Koppenhaver’s original purpose for attending Guilford College had not panned out. He wanted to play basketball. He also liked the campus and Guilford’s strong focus on service and diversity. “If students wanted to act on something that they felt strongly about, then they could,” Koppenhaver said. But being relegated to the bench for the Quakers’ basketball team and unable to find a worthwhile community, Koppenhaver felt anything but empowered.

“Give me one more semester,” Hayton asked the disgruntled 6’6’’ power forward that day in her office. Koppenhaver sat across from the English professor pondering his decision on whether to transfer. He heeded her request.

Now, over two years later, Koppenhaver has concluded his Guilford basketball career after starting all 27 of the team’s games as a senior. He is ready to don the cap and gown with his fellow Guilford seniors this May. Getting to this point, however, was a quest of self-discovery where Koppenhaver exited his comfort zone and came to grips with his dreams of helping people.

Koppenhaver was born in Durham, North Carolina but relocated multiple times until he landed in Boone, North Carolina where his father teaches English at Appalachian State University. Throughout his youth he followed in his mother’s footsteps with involvement in Habitat for Humanity. “I am all about empowerment in the instances of service to others—especially for the good of others,” Koppenhaver said. Now, his post-graduation plans are in motion: Koppenhaver wants to join AmeriCorps—even if it means being paid on the poverty line. His goals crystallized when Koppenhaver struck the balance of student and athlete with Hayton’s help.

Hayton recalls the moment when Koppenhaver first approached her. He was frustrated and aggravated in his body posture. She wanted to find him a community outside of basketball where he could find direction. “As a mom, I immediately fell in love with him,” said the diminutive Hayton. “Here was a giant who wore his heart on his sleeve.” 

The first step towards Koppenhaver’s self-discovery was enrolling in Guilford’s Honors program and getting accepted into the school’s Principled Problem Solving Program. The Center for Principled Problem Solving cultivates students who possess the knowledge and moral values to tackle complex social problems and effect positive change. Koppenhaver was a good fit for the program.

Koppenhaver took a break from basketball for his sophomore season. “I think I needed to be 

away from the team,” he said. “I had a negative attitude.” During his time away from the team, Koppenhaver expanded his horizons by participating in non-profit endeavors like building houses and even planning a hip-hop concert. The biggest step, however, happened during a study abroad trip to Sikkim, India, during in the summer of 2013.

“I wanted him to go to India because it’d be good for him,” Hayton said. “But, second of all, so I could help direct him for the next stage in his life.” Koppenhaver did not expect to be the sole male in a group of nine females, including Hayton. With car rides lasting up to five hours, India was a reckoning experience in more ways than one for someone used to male-dominated circles. For a month Koppenhaver did historical and cultural studies about Sikkim and the surrounding area. He also participated in a variety of service projects aimed at helping the local populace.

“I know it sounds cliché, but it was life-changing,” Koppenhaver said. “It was humbling to see how other people live without iPhones and TVs—all the materialistic things we Americans take for granted.” Koppenhaver realized that he did not have to help everyone, and that people can live differently than him. Hayton noted Koppenhaver was finally able to get out of his own head and see the world from a different perspective. That revelation did not change his desire to help people, but reinforced it.

Being unable to change everything reignited Koppenhaver’s desire to play basketball. This came in spite of four months recovering from a torn meniscus at the end of his freshman year. Now a junior on the team, Koppenhaver was transformed. “Will is a great team player who is willing to sacrifice his personal stats and goals for the good of the team,” said coach Tom Palombo of the now-senior.

But that statement was not always true, hence the visit to Hayton’s office. Now a regular starter, “It’s nice to be sore after games,” Koppenhaver said. After his visit to India, Koppenhaver became more patient and overcame his anger and frustration, which helped both on the court and in shaping his career.

“Heather gave me a bunch of options, and that was the big turning point in my personal and academic life,” Koppenhaver said. If it were not for individuals like Hayton and others, Koppenhaver would no longer be at Guilford. “Through her I realized all the things Guilford offers.”

When Koppenhaver walks to the commencement stage in May, he says he will be thinking about how he took advantage of everything Guilford offered. “I didn’t make any mistakes, but just had lessons to be learned,” he said. Eventually Koppenhaver wants to pursue a master’s in business and continue to find ways to help people through non-profit endeavors.

Guilford Alum Plays for Spanish National Baseball Team

Fearless, prepared, passionate.” These are the characteristics Guilford’s baseball coach Nick Black ’02 says define his former player, Borja Jones Berasaluce ‘14. These qualities helped Jones Berasaluce as a four-year starting pitcher for the Quakers from 2010-2014, but would they help him represent his heritage as a pitcher for Spain’s national baseball team? Would they help him realize what he wants to do after earning his degree in sport management?

Borja Jones Berasaluce '14

Born in Newton, Massachusetts, to Thomas Jones and Ana Berasaluce, Jones Berasaluce gained Spanish citizenship through his mother. As a youth, Jones Berasaluce and his family visited Spain often—becoming as much Spanish as he was American. “He always took his Spanish heritage very seriously,” Black said. Following an extended hiatus from the country, Jones Berasaluce fulfilled his yearning to return as a graduation present in the summer of 2014.

While in Spain, Jones Berasaluce could not stay away from baseball after Guilford. He tried out for a local semi-professional team and earned a spot as a pitcher. Then he got lucky. The Spanish national coach attended one of his games to scout an opposing player. Instead, Jones Berasaluce caught the coach’s eye. When asked to play for Spain, “Of course I said yes,” Jones Berasaluce recalled. “When you get an opportunity like that, it’s just something you can’t pass up.”

In the following months, Jones Berasaluce played at various locations on his way to pitching for Spain in the 2014 European Baseball Championship. “An incredible jump,” he called it compared to his pitching days in Massachusetts and North Carolina. His first stop was Italian baseball week in a stadium near Venice, where he helped his team to victory against the Czech Republic and Italy. After this week of preparation, qualifying games for the championship began in Brno, Czech Republic. Spain’s success there allowed it to reach the championship series in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Here Jones Berasaluce experienced what he called a “reality check.”

In a quarterfinal game versus the Netherlands, Jones Berasaluce took the mound in relief with his team trailing 12-8. The bases were loaded. “I threw a great pitch in my mind,” Jones Berasaluce said, “and a big, chubby lefty-hitter put it right out of the park.” It was a reality check because Jones Berasaluce realized he may have got too caught up in the moment. “To [the Netherlands], it was just another game.”

The moment, the pinnacle of his baseball career, caused Jones Berasaluce to reassess his dreams. Along the journey to making the Spanish team, he played alongside teammates who signed with major-league teams as teenagers out of Latin American nations, but were later released. “Seeing these guys who were signed, maybe played a few years and were dropped, they don’t have an education to fall back on.”

Jones Berasaluce’s now sees an opportunity to perhaps help players like his Spanish teammates. “With my ability to speak Spanish, sometime in the foreseeable future I see myself going to law school.” And of course, the type of law of interest involves baseball. The most desirable scenario, according to Jones Berasaluce, would be contract law, where he aids Spanish-speaking teenagers find their way to the big leagues.

“I understand playing baseball won’t be the rest of my career,” says Jones Berasaluce, “but if I can watch it and be around it every day, I’d love to do that.”

2015 Spanish National Baseball Team

by Jacob Kapp ‘15

Gates is Guilford's #1 Basketball Supporter

                  It’s fairly common for Division I schools to have fans that do not attend the institution, yet attend every game and follow the team closely. This phenomenon rarely exists at Guilford, except in the case of basketball super fan Andrew Gates.

                  Gate’s affection for the Quakers dates back to 2001 when his older sister, Sarah Gates Keel ’04, attended Guilford.

                   “My sister is 10 years ahead of me and we couldn’t do anything outside of the family except go to Guilford games, ” Gates said.

                  “Andrew wanted to go to Burger King and play in the ball pit, and Sarah wanted to go shopping or something. Basketball is something everybody could be happy with,” said Lynn Gates, Andrew’s mother.

                  Former Guilford associate head coach Matt Parke met Gates, asked him to come to games, and Gates has been coming ever since. Now Gates is on his way to a Guilford diploma as he will be a full time student at Guilford next school year.

                  “To me this is the way basketball should be,” he Gates “These kids aren’t getting full rides to come here. They come to play here because they love the game. It’s more pure basketball to me than Division I.”

                  In the 10 years Gates has been following the Quakers, he’s seen some of the best players in school history as Guilford grew into a national power.

                  “My three favorite players I’ve seen here is a tie between Ben Strong ‘08, Tyler Sanborn ‘10, and Josh Pittman ‘13,” said Gates, who appreciates players that score the ball. “My favorite graduating class would have to be (Caleb) Kimbrough’s class ‘07.”

                  “My favorite game would have to be the Sweet 16 game (against Lincoln Pa.) at Virginia Wesleyan when Jordan Snipes banked in about a 20-foot leaner to send the game into overtime and Ben Strong scored 59.”

                  Gates hopes to be remembered as a positive supporter. “I just encourage. If somebody has a down game, I just go congratulate them anyway. I just want to be there encouraging and supporting.”

                  Lynn Gates agreed saying, “We’re with you through thick and thin and it’s so gratifying to see you grow up and come together as a team.”

King's Journey Leads from Archdale, to App, to Guilford, to the U.S. Army

The road for receiver Ben King from his home in Archdale, N.C. to Appalachian State, to Guilford College, to his eventual spot in the U.S. Army’s Basic Training is one of twists and turns.

It starts at Trinity High School where King was a standout on the gridiron and won a state championship in basketball. King’s efforts in football earned him a spot on Division I Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse Appalachian State’s roster. After redshirting his first year at State, and dealing with debilitating injuries the other two, King transferred to Guilford in August of 2010.

King came to Guilford for two simple reasons. “I came to Guilford because it was close to home and I wanted to play football,” said King.

King’s transfer to Guilford did not lead the Quakers to any wins in 2010 as Guilford went 0-10, but in 2011 King helped the Quakers to two wins including a victory over cross-town rival Greensboro College. He was named Guilford’s game MVP after catching 10 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

King garnered First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) honors in 2011 and Second-Team All-ODAC the previous year.  He was named Third Team All-South region in 2011. He also led the Quakers in all receiving categories in 2010 and 2011 and set a new record for receiving yards in a single game with 251 yards in 2010.

“I think Ben’s success came because he had a lot of talent,” said head football coach Chris Rusiewicz. “He has great speed, quickness, ability to break away on a burst, and his desire to catch the football. When the ball’s up in the air he’s determined to go get it.  For a lot of great receivers that (want to) makes all the difference.”

King left a team that won three Division I FCS National Titles from 2005-07 to join the Quakers. “It was hard for me to go from winning to losing, but that’s part of life. You have to deal with losing, but I learned from it and I feel like it made me a better person overall,” said King.

 After the 2010 former head coach Kevin Keisel was let go. The coaching staff got a complete overhaul for what would be King’s final season and there were new players at quarterback, running back, and receiver. The result was a young and enthusiastic group, but one that still could not compete with the top teams in the ODAC. Factor in Add injuries to starting quarterback Zac Halbert and starting center Faris El-Ali and the Quakers were in for another challenging season.

“I would definitely have loved to win more games, if that had meant not experiencing so much personal success but winning more games I would have traded that in a heartbeat,” said King.

Despite the struggles on the field, King still enjoyed his time at Guilford. “I really had a bond with my teammates from last year. This year I was kind of the old guy on the team, but last year was really special,” said King.

King’s athletic pursuits are not completely done at Guilford as he will compete with Guilford’s  track and field team this spring. He hopes the running will prepare him for his next challenge, the U.S. Army.

After graduating in May King plans on going through basic training in the Army, followed by Officer's Candidate School. He wants to complete his time in the military, travel, and use his training to enter the field of federal law enforcement, which has always been a field of interest for him. If that does not work out King will try o use the business management degree he earned at Guilford.

King says he’ll miss Guilford, but treasures of the past two years. “I will definitely remember being on and off the field with my teammates, having a good time and competing.”

Smith Finds Success on the Track and in the Art Design World

Smith '14

            Speed is a passion of people. We love fast cars, we love fast boats, but most of all, we love fast people. Guilford sophomore Johnathan Smith has speed, and lots of it. In his rookie year he became Guilford’s first track & field athlete to reach the NCAA Championships. He went on to win All-America honors in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. During the upcoming indoor season, he will also run the 55- and the 60-meter races.

            “My favorite is the 200,” said Smith. “Towards the end guys start to get tired and that’s when I start to speed up.” Smith made his aptitude for the 200-meter obvious at the 2010 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships when he won the event and helped Guilford to a fourth-place finish.

            Smith then placed second in the event at the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championships by a mere half second. He also set the school record in a qualifying heat with a time of 21.15 seconds. Smith also earned All-America status in the 100 by finishing sixth with a time of 10.98 seconds. He holds Guilford records in both events

            With such lofty times some might wonder why Smith didn’t try to ply his trade at a Division I school. Smith made it clear his unaccomplished goals at Guilford were the reason for his return.

            “Winning a championship was a big incentive,” said Smith. “We’re building a team from the ground up and I want to help put Guilford on the map.”

            For his sophomore season Smith’s goals are equally lofty. “I want to go to nationals again and try to win a national championship,” said Smith. To this end Guilford sprint coach Marcus Bell has a goal for Smith’s improvement.

            “We want him to get down to 10.5 in the 100,” said Bell.

            Smith, a West Coast transplant by way of Conyers, Ga. came to Guilford to get his art degree and because of the scenic campus. Art was Smith’s first passion as he only picked up track his senior year in high school. As for his interest in art, Smith enjoys web site design and plans on making that his career.

            “I want to work in web design and design websites for companies,” said Smith. Smith worked with the Kaiji Foundation out of Mclean, Va., on building their website design. Smith has also crafted flyers, posters, and made CD covers for various music artists and events. Smith is currently working with fellow Guilford students Travis Robinson and CJ Green on a T-shirt designing project called Unique Critique.

            “This is serious for me for the future,” said Smith. “Right now it’s getting off the ground, but if it gets big, it will be a job for me after college.”

            Though his graduation date is far removed, Smith still has an eye on his future as a runner. “I’m interested in running professionally,” said Smith. “It’s just all about making the times.”

            This is not going to be an easy step for Smith according to Guilford head Track & Field Coach Bill Cason.

            “Right now there’s a level of training out there he doesn’t even know about,” said Cason. “He has all the physical tools. He’s got the DNA, but he’s got to work much, much harder.”

Story By Will Cloyd

Broos Training Room Provides Space for Healing and Learning

Walking through the new Mary G. Broos Training Facility in the basement of Alumni Gym, the first thing that strikes me is the huge space. The old training room only had four treatment tables, but now nine shiny crimson treatment tables flank two walls. In the old room, student-athletes often had to awkwardly hop on counters for treatment on. Now a large, low, gray table connected to an island provides ample work space.



The offices of the new training room



Two spacious offices for staff sit on the back wall next to a short hallway, which leads to an evaluation room for visiting team doctors. In the middle of the training room an island connects with the gray table, which holds various supplies. The old space only had two cramped offices and no private evaluation area. Opposite the offices and evaluation room, twin ice baths provide plenty of space for post practice and post-game soaking.

The old training room, now a refurbished locker room, will serve different teams based on season and need. Athletes and trainers packed in the old space like pedestrians in a subway. I remember vividly student-athletes packing the room looking for treatment. There was always a struggle to accommodate everyone. When we hosted teams there was even less room as visiting teams also needed treatment.

“We can take care of a lot more people a lot faster than we used to,” said assistant athletic trainer Danielle Duffy. “The fact that we can fit a soccer team and a volleyball team and a football team, plus visiting teams, makes our jobs a lot easier.”

Head athletic trainer Gary Rizza also noted how the new facility will help attract students to the college and aid coaches in recruiting.

“Coaches can bring recruits down here with their parents and see what we have in here, as well as what’s out on the field,” said Rizza.

The old training facility, now a locker room

One thing in particular that I like, and visiting recruits will like as well, is the ice bath room. I use the ice baths often after basketball practice and they are great for tired legs. In the old training room, the ice baths were in the main room, sandwiched between the ice machine and two treatment tables. The quarters were cramped and rubber mats were required because the floor was not slip-resistant. I almost fell several times. Now there is more space for the tubs and the floors are designed for wet feet.

Assistant athletic trainer Jared Siglin noted out how the old facility also did not stack up against the competition in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

“You look at a place like Virginia Wesleyan, that doesn’t have a football team, and they had a bigger space than we did,” said Siglin. “Four treatment tables (in the old facility) were not enough for all the students we had coming in. We were behind the times.”

Duffy added the old facility did not fit all the people and waiting became an issue. It was also old, occupying the same space since Alumni Gym was constructed in 1950.

The space is named for Broos, Guilford’s athletic trainer from 1978 to 2008, because of her over 30 years of service and to honor her role as a trailblazer in the profession. When she started at Guilford in 1978 she was the only woman in charge of a college sports medicine program in North Carolina. Broos did not expect the room to be named in her honor and was very emotional about the new training space.

“I felt very humbled and very surprised to be honored. I never dreamed about this happening. It was just a shock,” said Broos. “The room will allow students more space to come in and work as well as learn.”

Story by Will Cloyd